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Caroline, or Change
Caroline, or Change is a stage musical. Cast *Tonya Pinks - Caroline Thibodeaux *Harrison Chad - Noah Gellman *Veanne Cox - Rose Stopnick Gellman *David Constabile - Stuart Gellman *Anika Noni Rose - Emmie Thibodeaux *Tracy Nicole Chapman, Marva Hicks, Ramona Keller - The Radio *Chuck Cooper - The Dryer/The Bus *Capathia Jenkins - The Washing Machine *Larry Keth - Mr. Stopnick *Chandra Wilson - Dotty Moffett *Reathel Bean - Grandpa Gelman *Alice Playten - Grandma Gelman *Adriane Lenox - The Moon *Kevin Ricardo Tate - Jackie Thibodeaux *Marcus Carl Franklin - Joe Thibodeaux Plot On a hot day in 1963 in Lake Charles, Louisiana, Caroline, a black maid who works for the Gellman family for $30 a week, launders clothes in the basement. The Gellmans' 8-year-old son Noah, whose mother has recently died of cancer, is attracted to Caroline, a no-nonsense single parent. Caroline allows Noah to light her one cigarette each day, a secret they can share. Caroline puts the laundry in the dryer and sings about her four kids and cleaning houses for 22 years. Noah's new stepmother Rose cannot give Caroline a raise, but tells her to take some extra food home to her kids; ("Caroline, There's Extra Food") Caroline declines. Noah's father Stuart, despondent since his wife's death, tells Noah he has lost his faith. Noah confesses that he hates Rose. Rose confesses to her father, Mr. Stopnick, that she is unhappy as well. After work, Caroline argues with her friend Dotty about each other's lifestyles. The moon rises as they wait for a bus. They discuss the recent mysterious destruction of a statue of a Confederate soldier at the courthouse. The bus arrives with devastating news: President Kennedy has been assassinated. Rose tells Noah to stop leaving money in his pants pockets, and that any money Caroline finds in his laundry will be hers to keep. The Gellman family reminisces about the good President Kennedy did for the Jews—and Dotty reminisces about the good he intended to do for African Americans. On the front porch of her house, Caroline tells her teenage daughter Emmie that the president is dead. Emmie says she doesn't care, because JFK never fulfilled his promises to the black community. Noah, awake in his bedroom, asks Caroline what laws she would pass if she were president. Rose tells Caroline she is allowed to keep any money she finds in Noah's pants, to supplement her salary and teach Noah a lesson. Noah, aware of her situation, purposefully leaves his candy and comic book money in his pockets. Caroline feels bad about keeping it, but does so, out of necessity. Caroline, ironing clothes in the basement, remembers her ex-husband, who was kind and thoughtful until he became abusive. Rose tells Caroline to keep any money Stuart leaves in his clothes as well, then asks if she, Dotty, and Emmie will work at her upcoming Chanukah party. Caroline's kids encourage her to keep taking the laundry money, because they need it. At the Chanukah party, Noah educates Emmie about the holiday. Rose shoos Noah out of the kitchen, and Dotty tells Emmie about the courthouse statue. When Mr. Stopnick belittles Martin Luther King Jr.'s nonviolent civil disobedience, Emmie tells him white people have no right to be critical. Mr. Stopnick is impressed with Emmie's bravado, but Caroline tells her she cannot talk that way to white people; Emmie retorts that slavery is over. Mr. Stopnick's Chanukah present to Noah is a $20 bill, intended as a life lesson about money and its value. At the bus stop, Emmie says she wants a car and a big house when she grows up. Back at the house, Stuart laments that he can give neither Rose nor Noah what they need. Noah inadvertently leaves the $20 bill in his pants; after school he rushes to the basement, but Caroline has found it and says she is keeping it, per their agreement. Noah and Caroline exchange racial insults, then Caroline returns the money and leaves. After three days, Caroline has not returned to work. That Sunday on her way to church, Caroline realizes that the laundry money had only fostered greed and hatefulness; she asks God to free her from earthly desires. At church, Caroline gives Emmie a fierce hug. Noah finally lets Rose tuck him into bed and kiss him goodnight. Caroline returns to work and assures Noah that they'll be friends again. Emmie reveals that she helped take down the Confederate soldier statue, and proudly sings that she is the daughter of a maid, but she will continue to work for a greater cause, and her children will have a brighter future. Musical numbers ;Act One Washer / Dryer *"16 Feet Beneath The Sea" — Caroline and The Washing Machine *"The Radio" — The Radio *"Laundry Quintet— The Washing Machine, Caroline and The Radio *"Noah Down The Stairs" — Noah *"The Cigarette" — Noah and Caroline *"Laundry Finish" — The Washing Machine, Caroline and The Radio *"The Dryer" — The Dryer and The Radio *"I Got Four Kids" — Caroline and The Dryer Cabbage *"Caroline, There's Extra Food" — Rose, Caroline and The Gellmans *"There Is No God, Noah" — Stuart *"Rose Stopnick Can Cook" — The Gellmans Long Distance *"Long Distance" — Rose Moon Change *"Dotty and Caroline" — Dotty and Caroline *"Moon Change" — The Moon *"Moon Trio" — Dotty, Caroline, and The Moon *"The Bus" — The Bus *"That Can't Be" — The Bus, Rose, Dotty and Caroline *"Noah and Rose" — Rose and Noah *"Inside/Outside" — The Moon, Noah and Rose *"JFK" — Rose, Dotty, and Grandpa & Grandma Gellman Duets *"No One Waitin'" — Emmie, Caroline, and The Radio *"'Night Mamma" — Emmie *"Gonna Pass Me A Law" — Noah and Caroline *"Noah, Go To Sleep" — Caroline The Bleach Cup *"Noah Has A Problem" — Rose and Caroline *"Stuart and Noah" — Stuart, Noah and Rose *"Quarter In The Bleach Cup" — Caroline and Noah *"Caroline Takes My Money Home" — Noah, Caroline, Emmie, Jackie and Joe *"Roosevelt Petrucius Coleslaw" — Emmie, Noah, Jackie, Joe, Caroline and The Moon ;Act Two Ironing *"Santa Comin'" Caroline — The Radio *"Little Reward" — The Radio, The Washing Machine, and Caroline *"1943" — Caroline, The Washing Machine, and The Radio *"Mr. Gellman's Shirt" — Rose and Caroline *"Ooh Child" — The Washing Machine and The Radio *"Rose Recovers" — Rose, The Dryer and Caroline *"I Saw Three Ships" — Emmie, Jackie, Joe and Caroline The Chanukah Party *"The Chanukah Party" — The Gellmans, Caroline and Emmie *"Dotty and Emmie" — Dotty and Emmie *"I Don't Want My Child To Hear That" — Caroline and Mr. Stopnick *"Mr. Stopnick and Emmie" — Mr. Stopnick and Emmie *"Kitchen Fight" — Caroline, Emmie, and Dotty The Twenty Dollar Bill *"A Twenty Dollar Bill and Why" — Mr. Stopnick *"I Hate The Bus" — Emmie *"Moon, Emmie and Stuart Trio" — The Moon, Emmie and Stuart *"The Twenty Dollar Bill" — Noah and The Gellmans *"Caroline and Noah Fight" — Caroline, The Dryer and Noah Aftermath *"Aftermath" — Rose, Stuart, Mr. Stopnick and Noah Lot's Wife *"Sunday Morning" — Caroline and Dotty *"Lot's Wife" — Caroline How Long Has This Been Going On? *"Salty Teardrops" — The Radio *"Why Does Our House Have A Basement?" — Noah, Rose, and Caroline *"Underwater" — Caroline Emmie's Dream *"Epilogue" — Emmie Category:Stage musicals